The proliferation of computer driven systems and appliances into arenas that were traditionally non-computer related has rendered conventional user input devices inadequate, and sometimes obsolete. Considerable resources are being spent to create new user-interface paradigms using pen and voice.
An electronic meeting room typically includes a PC and a number of communications peripherals. The communications peripherals include white boards, presentation projectors, and video and teleconferencing systems. People use the communications peripherals for white board applications involving interactive presentations and meetings, and collaborative data sharing sessions.
An electronic meeting room does not need to be a single room. Rather, an electronic meeting room can be a virtual room where one or more persons in different physical locations are connected together via the Internet or some other communications network.
A user interface controls remote location meetings and conferences where computerized data and document sharing takes place through a teleconferencing or a video conferencing medium. Currently, the user interface for the above applications involves employing multiple devices such as a projector remote control, a microphone, a mouse, a wireless keyboard, a digitizer pad, and a phone. A problem with employing multiple devices for the user interface is that users must manipulate many devices making the user interface less friendly.
Pad-entry paradigms employing touch pads have been developed which incorporate the features of some of the multiple devices. It is desirable that one hand holds the touch pad in space while the other hand manipulates the touch pad with either a finger(s) or a stylus. A problem with these prior art pad-entry paradigms is that the hand manipulating the pad needs to be constantly lifted from the pad surface to perform clicks or other entry functions (usually the activation of hard or soft keys). This interruption of mousing or graphic capturing tasks causes inconvenience and renders the device less friendly and usable.
Other pad-entry paradigms require the pad to be set down, thereby freeing up the holding hand to perform other functions. Some current paradigms use expensive pad technology solutions to facilitate usage such as a specialized stylus or pen that requires either activation of buttons on the pen or pressing the stylus tip against the pad. Other paradigms require a pad designed to sense proximity of a special stylus to accomplish certain functions. These prior art paradigms require specialized technologies that are expensive and less practical to do in a portable, wireless device.